


One Paw a day Keeps the Doctor Away.

by 0ya_script4



Series: Voltron: Legendary Writing Prompts [13]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cat keith, Dreams and Nightmares, I love them all, Keith is Shiro's therapy cat, Keith is the solution, Keith really helps, Life Happens, Mention of abuse and drug use, One Shot, Over protective keith, PTSD, Shiro is a Mess, There is animal abuse in the begining of this, a story of healing, acts more dog than cat, but it is short, but not in a weird way, he wanted a dog but in his small apartment? nope, take care of your therapy animals. they love you, warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-15 00:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13601382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0ya_script4/pseuds/0ya_script4
Summary: Shiro has a nightmare, his therapy cat normally helps but he left the door closed. 2 a.m. is too early to deal with depression.





	One Paw a day Keeps the Doctor Away.

**Author's Note:**

> [Tumblr Inspiration](https://pineapplechunk.tumblr.com/post/170590487455/please-save-this-man-do-not-repost-without)

_All he heard was 'problem child' and he was cowering in the corner._

_All he needed to see was his foster father slowly walking towards him with a steel baseball bat and he would've been able to escape. However, he attempted to trust this family. He had his back turned in full blow trust, he did turn his head a few times, jumping at some sounds and trying to calm his mind. But with the sound of breaking glass and his foster father's cursing, he could only make it to the corner. He was 16, or heavens sake, he shouldn't be scared of anyone!_

_He covered his ears, closed his eyes, and began to shake. He waited for the loud thwack of the bat to his arms. He was ready for a broken cry to escape his mouth. But he slowly opened his eyes and saw his small grey and light purple feline. It stood in between him and the steel baseball bat. Its hairs stood on end and hissed, disgusting snorting in anger and teeth bared._

_"Ulaz?" The boy whimpered as he covered his ears, "Run, please..." The feline didn't listen to the boy as he did it's best to protect the boy. Attacking the man wielding the bat with ferocity. The boy watched as the feline attacked his foster father, scratching and digging its claws into his arms, biting and drawing blood. The boy had never seen his cat get this territorial and protective over him. But with the thumping sound and the feeling of something wet hitting his face, Shiro realized that Ulaz had lost the battle..._

 

 

 

Shiro fell to the ground and hit his head against the hardwood floor. He began to breathe hard, his chest rising and falling as he was trying his best to calm his heartbeat again. He heard scratching at the door, meowing, and even his flatmate's voice call from the other side of the door.

"Shiro!" his flatmate called banging on the door, "You were screaming again! Why is your door closed?! Shiro!" 

Shiro stood up and walked over to the door opening it. A flood of his flat-mate, his cat, and Shiro's cat rushed in. 

"SHIRO!" his flatmate embraced him

"I'm fine, Lance, it was just a nightmare," Shiro sighed as he hugged Lance back, even though his entire body was sweating and felt like every joint was screaming against him. 

"Keith literally suffocated me awake, which Blue didn't like so they almost fought on my bed until I realized something was off about him. He was freaking out, shaking and stuff because you closed your door again!" Shiro looked down at his 4-year-old Black Ragdoll cat. 

"Keith..." Shiro sighed as he knelt down. His cat, named Keith, circled him and purred as loud as he could. Keith nudged him a little with his nose. "I'm fine, you don't need to get so frazzled every time I have a nightmare..." 

"It's kinda his job, dude," Lance commented as he scooped up Blue, who was voicing her want to be picked up very loudly, as she did everytime Lance raised his voice.

"I know," Shiro commented as he pat Keith's silky fur

"Do you need me to call Hunk and have him do a house visit?" 

"What is it, 4 am?" 

"2 am, actually," Lance shrugged his shoulders

"I don't want to wake him up, or bother him." 

"Shiro, he told you to call him whenever you have nightmares. He's the one that trained Keith for you and he's your therapist. He practically sleeps with his phone beside him at all times."

"Fine," Shiro stood, "What are you, my mother?" 

"No, just your friendly neighborhood College drop out!" Lance laughed, "You talk to Hunk, no yelling. Blue and I are going back to bed, we got an early work day tomorrow," he turned and began walking to his room

"11 am is not that early," 

"Sorry, I can't hear you over the amount of beauty sleep I'm about to get!" Lance's voice faded and his bedroom door opening (but not closing). 

Shiro sat on the edge of his bed and didn't pick up his phone. He just stared at it. After five minutes of considering calling his therapist at this hour, he laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling. Shiro felt the bed dip ever so slightly as Keith jumped up in the bed. Keith's nose nudged Shiro's palm. 

Shiro matched eyes with his cat, who was glaring at him. "Don't look at me like that. I don't want to bother him at this hour, would you? I'll tell you, no, you wouldn't." Keith moved and curled up on Shiro's stomach, quietly purring and just stared at him. "I feel like I'm being scolded again..." Shiro sighed as he slowly reached for his phone on his bed stand and he slowly dialed Hunk's number. Placing the phone to his ear he informed Keith, "If he get's mad this was your idea, not mine." 

The phone was picked up on the other end, grumbling was heard and a sigh, "Hello?"

"Hey, Hunk... it's me... Shiro..." 

"Hey, is everything alright?" Hunk responded. On the other end, he could hear the bed moving slightly and a different volume sigh

"Y-Yeah... I'm sorry if you're busy--" 

"Dude, I'm married. Don't be weird about it." Hunk commented, "Shay, it's a client, I'll be right back," He said to his wife. A door was heard closing, "What's up? You know it's 2:30 in the morning, right?" 

"I was kinda cornered by Lance, Keith, and Blue to call you," Shiro smiled in embarrassment that he was blaming his cat for having an effect in this. He let his prosthetic hold the phone as he slowly pat Keith with his organic hand. 

"Keith's a good cat and Lance is a good flatmate." Hunk chuckled, "So, why did they have you call me?" 

"Had a nightmare..." 

"About your foster home?" 

"Y-Yeah..." 

"I'd ask for you to tell me about it, but I know that you won't over the phone. Do you remember the nightmare?" 

"Vividly," 

"Write it down while it's on your mind. In your dream catcher journal. I can get dressed and bring my stuff and be there is about 20, if you want?" 

"Are you alright with it?" 

"Shiro, I told you the first day you were my client that you could summon me whenever and wherever. I'm just glad you're finally calling me after 5 years."

"Yeah... Lance would be happy to see you, but he went back to bed." 

Another door closed in the background and drawers opening, "Psh, once he hears my voice that boy will be wide awake and all over me. It's how he'd been since grade school."

"I get that..." Shiro sighed. He looked down to Keith who stretched himself across Shiro's stomach, taking up all of it. His hair flowing in every direction. "Thanks, Hunk," 

"No problem. Want me to stay on the phone until I get there, or will you be alright?" 

"I'll be fine, thanks." 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Shiro sat in the living room, his feet folded leisurely under his body in a sort of triangle, child-like, stance. Keith lay right in the little nook his legs made, he occasionally looked up to Shiro and made sure that he was alright. Purring, and tapping to get his attention, but rarely using his voice. 

Shiro was watching a show on Netflix, "World's Deadliest Animals". Somehow it helped him breathe and calm down when he saw a spider literally pull a cobra off the ground and eat it. IT made him realize that his foster family wasn't the most toxic thing in the world. He could only wish his Nursing job was half as cool as the guy's flying after these animals. Keith hopped off Shiro and walked towards the door, looking back at Shiro a couple of times and then sitting down. Keith, as weird as it may sound, began to growl at the door. 

"What are you? A dog?" Shiro got up and walked towards Keith, "I know you hate your litter box, but I'm not letting you outside, Pidge did not like you getting into their boxes they left outside their apartment--." his apartment doorbell rang. Keith meowed quietly. Shiro picked him up as he answered the door, "Hunk?" Shiro encouraged him in

"You sound surprised?" Hunk entered in and took his jacket off

"It's been about 15 minutes..." 

"Yeah? I told you, about 20. 15 is about 20." Hunk shrugged. 

Hunk stood 6' 2", not that much shorter than Shiro's 6'3". Hunk used to be able to joke that he was built 6'2" both ways, but that stopped once Shay came in the picture a few years ago. Hunk is well built, strong, and sturdy like a mountain. Eats like a bear ready for hibernation, but has the manners of an overbearing child trying to impress guests. His hair used to be long enough for a ponytail, but he had it cut off recently back to, what he tells Shiro is, his old look. Shiro looked Hunk over, not in formal-formal attire, but more looking like a Private College professor. A light tan sweater over a white collared shirt, the cuffs reaching out over the sleeves of the sweater. Long black pants with lines in the front as if they were brand new and fancy shoes. 

Shiro said the first thing on his mind, "You look like Mr. Rogers." 

"Well, thank you." Hunk mock bowed. "So, living room or Kitchen?" 

"Library, actually. If that's alright." 

"Your house," Hunk smiled

Shiro turned and walked out of the living room. The apartment was small but large enough for two grown men and two warring cats to live in. The small entryway spilled out into the Living room which shared space with a kitchenette and a table chair set that Lance had made his one and only semester at college. Turning left they made their way past Lance and Shiro's room's, on separate sides of the hall. A little further down was a bathroom that the two had to share. At the end of the hall was one last door which opened into the library, the one extra room that Lance and Shiro had agreed to turn into something more 'classy' than an art studio or something of the sorts. Shiro wanted a grand piano but realized the cost of getting it up on the 5th floor without an elevator. Shiro opened the door to the library, a room about two cubicles large, with books all the way up to the ceiling and three chairs facing opposite directions. The room felt taller than it really is, the muted colors and shadows assisting in the illusion. 

"Nice library," Hunk commented looking around. He claimed one chair as his. He then set his stuff down on a coffee table that he almost tripped over.

"Keith likes sitting in here when I'm not home, or so Lance says, the door is usually open, but I like to close it at night just in case." 

"I encourage a healthy dose of literature, Shiro," Hunk said, mentally counting the number books, "but you're still taking care of yourself, right?" 

"Yeah, I do what I can. Keith was trained to wake me up at 9 for breakfast and grab me small snacks through the day (when I'm home) to remind me to eat." Shiro smiled at his cat as he sat down in a chair adjacent to Hunk and placed Keith on his lap.

"So, do you want me to record or scribe?" 

"Record. I find it better when you record..." Shiro sighed. He always hated therapy. He hated it so much. It was for some people but not him, and it's not like he looked down at people who liked therapy, but he--well, he had bad experiences before. His foster parents were never too keen on a child with PTSD, no matter what house. So they took him to many many therapists. Shock therapy, a hard medication that soldiers took, fluid blocking, anything and everything that one could think of. He went through. He got so stressed one time that his hair even changed dramatically, but only where he was hooked in (by the frontal lobe). He hated everything to do with therapy after that. Well, until he met Lance. 

 

Lance was, and still basically is, a broke college student. He was looking for a flat-mate because his last one left for a trip across the country. Shiro answered the add and quickly found out that Lance had, what was called a therapy cat. He called her Blue, simply because she was a Blue Russian with blue eyes instead of the normal varying green that the breed has. Shiro didn't question it, but whenever Lance raised his voice, or whenever he seemed hopeless, Blue was there. She screamed for attention. The first time Shiro saw just how much Blue helped he was almost in tears too. Lance had just dropped out and just got off the phone with his stepfather. He was not pleased. Lance broke down, and no matter what Shiro said, it didn't help. Blue, without hesitating, meowed for comfort. Lance hugged her without holding back, he even talked to her like a normal human. A week passed after that incident, and Shiro asked Lance if he could help him find a Therapy cat for his nightmares. Lance warned him that they were expensive, and people normally get Dogs because they are better at getting peoples undivided attention, Lance got a cat so he could carry her around and still have some dignity without getting a yapper dog.

That day was when Shiro and Hunk met. Hunk is, essentially, a pet trainer for therapy cats. He has his Ph.D. in Psychology and a license to help people with any type of mental illness, but he usually focused on Animals (with a few acceptions). Lance introduced the two and asked Hunk if he could set Shiro up. Hunk, like anyone would, asked if he could meet with Shiro so that he could train a cat to be the perfect fit. After one visit, and Hunk's amazing work, Shiro kept asking to see him. And kept asking. Shiro found his fit, and who was Hunk to say no? About a month later Hunk said he had the perfect cat, he was temperamental, as in he didn't do well with competition for Shiro, but he was really good at everything else. Hunk let Shiro and the small kitten get to know each other and interact occasionally. Only when the kitten turned 2 and was officially trained, did he go home with Shiro and receive a name.

 

 

"You said you had a nightmare right?" Hunk pulled out his small, maybe flash drive-sized recorder, and began the session

"Yeah..." 

"Doesn't Keith normally wake you up before they get too bad?" 

"I--" Shiro looked down to Keith, who was silently sleeping and curled into a ball on his lap "My door was shut." Shiro sighed

"You've been closing you're door a lot more recently, you said that last session. Do you think installing a doggy door would help? Then Keith could get in without a problem." 

"We asked the landlord, but she said no." Shiro pat Keith, sturring one of his ears to flicker.

"Why don't you tell me about the nightmare? Was it the same as the last one?" 

"No, it was altered. Ulaz was there," 

"The old family cat?" Hunk raised a brow

"Yeah. He was defending me, and I watched my foster father kill him." 

"In the dream or real life?"

"The dream," Shiro said, "Ulaz got killed by the neighborhood kids. Being a foster kid wasn't really the way to become a cool kid," Shiro held onto Keith a little hard, waking him and bringing him slightly closer to his chest

"Shiro, are you afraid that's going to happen to Keith? Is that why you've been distancing yourself?" 

"He may be my therapy cat, but he's also my best friend. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to him..." 

"I'm going to be straight with you, Shiro. I noticed it the second I entered. What you're doing is also hurting Keith." 

"What?" 

"You're essentially abandoning him. You're trying to tell him that he's not needed by shutting him out of your life completely. Let me put it this way." Hunk took out a pad of paper, "Does he ask for food from you anymore?" 

"No, he's usually eating before I even make it to the bowel." 

"His bowel, or Blue's leftovers." Shiro just stared at Keith, "I'm going to take that as Blue's leftovers. Next, does he cuddle with you anymore? And when he does does he constantly look back at you for affirmation that it's you there?"

"Y-Yeah," 

"He know's. Keith was abandoned when he was a kitten too, but you know this. You're his first and only owner, and that's what he wants. He can tell that you're going to leave him and he's trying to let you. He's letting Lance take care of him second-handly." Hunk flipped through his pad of paper, "It's like what you were doing when you were in your foster homes. Taking scraps so you weren't as much of a bother, only speaking up when you knew that is was essential to survival." 

"But what about today? He was freaking out so much that Lance said he suffocated him awake." 

"It's what normal people call 'the last straw'." Hunk smiled, "Keith is like a dog in the aspect of loyalty. I can't speak for him, I hate doing that, but I can bet that he was so sick and tired of you avoiding your pain that he had to go get help."

Shiro looked down to Keith again, his eyes cloudy and shaking with fear that his tears would overflow. 

"I've told you before, that cats are territorial and look out for their pack. Keith thinks you're his pack, and he's doing his best to look out for you. But like everyone, if you refuse help so much he's going to stop. I'd say to keep your door open. I know you hate avoiding those nightmares by waking up because you think you're backing down, but nightmares are just your brains' way of trying to wrap itself around an idea. And that's what I'm here for."

"I'm sorry," Shiro said moving Keith to his shoulder and hugging him. 

"If you're comfortable, I'd like to read you're dreamcatcher journal."

 

* * *

 

Shiro laid on the carpet of the living room. Keith laying horizontally on Shiro's stomach listening to Shiro babble on and on about how he's having a hard time. Keith would reply with his nails if Shiro degraded himself, or a purring sigh if he agreed. Keith seemed a little overwhelmed in all the information Shiro was sputtering, but it was well needed. Like a wave over a warm rock which thought the water had long abandoned it. Refreshing and a slight twinge of hope. 

"Shiiiiiirooooo," Lance walked out of his room, Blue swerving around his feet trying to herd him in the direction that is not right into the wall and to the floor cursing in pain. "do you even know what time it is--?" Lance looked at the sight. Shiro's arms at his side, one playing with Keith's paws and the other petting Keith's tail. He wore an unpleasant look on his face as if his mother walked into him and his lover about to do the do and she interrupted him for 'snacks?'. Keith fluffed all of Shiro's midsection that would be showing if Keith wasn't there because Shiro's T-shirt was practically bunched up to his armpits. "Shiro, what are you doing?" Lance put his hand to his face and smiled a little. 

"I'm having a binding moment with Keith, why?" 

"You can do that in your room right?" Lance yawned

"Oh, did I wake you up?" Shiro asked, not moving his body one bit

"Yeah, Blue and I were cuddlin', but the ruckus woke her up who woke me up. A Dangerous domino effect." Lance exaggerated. "What time is it anyway?" 

"Don't know. Check the microwave." 

"Ah, yes, the dimensional constant of 00:00?" Lance scoffed

"I fixed that last week!" 

"And then Uncle Coran came over, remember," 

"Riiiight..." Shiro still hadn't moved from his current place on the floor. 

"Looks, by the oven's standard and by my math skills and perception, that it's 8 am."

"Eight?!" 

"Well, the oven says 4:33, and last time Pidge was here she wanted to play a prank on me to make me late so she made it three and a half hoursish too slow. So, if it's still like that, then yes. It's eight."

"I've been out here for four hours...." Shiro sighed as he let all muscled relax that weren't already relaxed. 

"Well, I guess I should be up anyway. Blue would've woken me up in half an hour or so." Lance stretched and yawned "Also, you should get ready too. Don't you have a video meeting today?" 

Shiro groaned, "Don't remind me." he smiled and then inquisitively pointed at the ceiling. 

"Come on Shiro, don't make me be responsible today, this week is your week." 

"One of my best friends once said, in beautiful word association, and I quote "Don't ever talk to me or my Therapy cat again," end quote".

Lance smiled and laughed, turning around towards the shared bathroom. "Fine, but I get the bathroom first." 

"No!" Shiro shot up, shocking and scaring Keith, "You take hours!" 

"Oh, so we're talking now? That lasted .4 seconds!" Lance rushed to the bathroom, "Last one there has to tell Pidge they broke the computer!" 

"You broke my computer again?! WAIT, LANCE! I AM DOING NO SUCH THING!! THEY'LL KILL ME! LANCE, GET BACK HERE!"

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all liked this! It was very fun to write!


End file.
